What I Learned When I Died (Author Interview)

What I Learned When I Died looks like a unique
book.Can you tell us a little about what
it’s about?

Well, thank you for asking. I’ve written/co-authored nine
other books, and they’ve all been really special to me, particularly Letters
to Ethan, which is a series of letters I wrote to my grandson after he was
born.

But the creation of What I Learned When I Died: Life
Lessons From Heaven actually began when I was born, and then died shortly
thereafter. Because of my death, I was immediately baptized as a Catholic and,
with no heartbeat for an extended period of time, was pronounced dead by the
delivery room doctor. It was in those moments between life and death and then
coming to life again that I experienced the presence, the peace, and the love
of God in the most beautiful of all places, Heaven.

The shocking experience of almost losing their first-born
son emotionally froze my parents to the point that they never discussed it with
me until my mother shared the story during my teenage years. The more I thought
about it after our tearfully joyful discussion, I began to discern even more
clearly some of the things I had been thinking, feeling, and experiencing as I
grew up.

And so, from those teenage years until I wrote the book,
I’ve spent countless hours reflecting upon the time I spent in God’s arms and
the lessons I now know He wanted me to learn and to share. And those ten
lessons are the subject of What I Learned When I Died.

How long did it take you to write What I Learned When
I Died?

Honestly, it took my entire life to write the book in my
head and in my heart. When I had it all figured out, I just sat down and typed
it in about two weeks. Trust me. I asked God a lot of questions along the way. I
just didn’t want to sit down and write about an event. I wanted to share a deeply
personal story that was practical, meaningful, and something that would offer
hope to those that read it, as well as some practical advice on how to
experience and enjoy a little bit of heaven on earth, despite the myriad of
disappointments and challenges we all face along the way.

What inspired you when writing What I Learned When I
Died?

Not long ago I served as a hospice chaplain here in Florida.
When I became a part of a patient’s death journey, for example, many of them
would feel guilty that they had not “been to church” for a long time and, in
some cases, decades. In spite of that, the life stories they shared with me
were replete with examples, often heroic examples, ofliving a Christian life. One young hospice
patient, twenty-eight-year-old Shannon, convinced me that sharing what I had
experienced when I was born would help others to see and to feel God’s presence
not only in a church, but in many other places as well. Shannon was homeless,
lived in the woods, but walked to a mission once a week to help a local minister
distribute food and clothes to the poor. She died on our hospice service with
no family except our doctors, nurses, and care staff. Serving Shannon’s
spiritual needs during her final days with us at hospice inspired me to share
my story with others.

Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when
writing What I Learned When I Died?

Nothing that I would describe as challenging really. As I mentioned,
I remember my mother finally sharing my “death experience’ with me when I
became a teenager and thinking, I better not tell any of my friends that I
died when I was born and went to Heaven for a short time, or they’ll think I’m
weird.

In addition, I think a “story” is empty and meaningless if
there isn’t a moral to the story. So if there was a challenge in writing the
book, it was to attribute real-life principles to my experience that others
would be able to use as they evaluated their own life direction and path. And
to accomplish that, I relied upon certain scriptural passages and quotes,
contained in each chapter of my book, that have defined a code of conduct for
my own journey here on earth.

What do you like to do when not writing?

When I’m not writing I have a pretty busy schedule! I’m a
chaplain, podcast host, and also an elected Fire Commissioner here in Palm
Harbor, Florida, for the East Lake Tarpon Special Fire Control District. In
addition, I travel and present interactive learning programs for churches and
schools. Two of my favorite programs are Teach Your Children Well, (a
program for parents) and Faith, Family, and Miracles, a program designed
to improve family relationships. Most importantly, when I’m not writing, I
cherish the time I spend with my family and friends, and I’m a huge Tampa Bay
Lightning hockey fan!

Where can readers find out more about your work?

Readers
can find out more about my work by visiting our podcast’s website at: www.tommcqueen.us. My show, “Wisdom for a Crazy World” is heard on
Apple iTunes and nine other networks while being broadcast around the world.
There’s a Gallery link on the website which goes directly to my Amazon
Author’s page. And on my Amazon Author’s page, there are several videos and all
of my other books are listed there as well.

For
readers interested in the work of our non-profit foundation, I would encourage
them to visit our webpage and read about our ministry at: www.americanfamilyfoundationinc.com.